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Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Law and grace

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CharlesSpurgeon

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Romans 5:20

Suggested Further Reading: 2 Peter 3:10-14

There has always been the salt of grace in the world to counteract the power of sin. The clouds have never been so universal as to hide the day. But the time is fast approaching when grace shall extend all over our poor world and be universal. According to the Bible testimony, we look for the great day when the dark cloud which has swathed this world in darkness shall be removed, and it shall shine once more like all its sister planets. It has been for many a long year clouded and veiled by sin and corruption; but the last fire shall consume its rags and sackcloth. After that fire, the world in righteousness shall shine. The huge molten mass now slumbering in the bowels of our common mother shall furnish the means of purity. Palaces, and crowns, and peoples, and empires, are all to be melted down; and after, like a plague-house, the present creation has been burned up entirely, God will breathe upon the heated mass, and it will cool down again. He will smile on it as he did when he first created it, and the rivers will run down the new made hills, the oceans will float in new-made channels; and the world will be again the abode of the righteous for ever and for ever. This fallen world will be restored to its orbit; that gem which was lost from the sceptre of God shall be set again, yea, he shall wear it as a signet about his arm. Christ died for the world; and what he died for, he will have. He died for the whole world, and the whole world he will have, when he has purified and cleansed it, and fitted it for himself. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound;” for grace shall be universal, whereas sin will be destroyed.

For meditation: The believer’s sure and certain hope of being freed completely from the presence of sin then, is a strong motive for seeking to be as free as possible from it now (1 John 3:2,3).

Sermon no. 37

26 August (1855)

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – You Have a Bible?

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Max Lucado

Do you have a Bible?  Read it!

Has any other book ever been described like it?  Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

The words of the Bible have life. Life-giving words! Nouns with pulse rates. The Bible is to God what a surgical glove is to the surgeon. He reaches through them to touch deep within you. Haven’t you felt His touch? In a late, lonely hour you read, “I will never leave you.  I will never forsake you.” The sentences comfort like a hand on your shoulder.

Don’t make a decision without sitting before God with open Bible, open heart, open ears. Let the words of Christ live in your heart and make you wise.

You have a Bible?  Read it.

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Expecting the Best

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John MacArthur

“[Love] believes all things” (1 Cor. 13:7).

In Luke 15 Jesus tells a parable about a father who had two sons. The younger son asked for his share of the family inheritance, then left home and squandered it on sinful pursuits. When he realized his folly, he decided to return home and ask his father’s forgiveness. So “he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry'” (vv. 20-23).

That’s a beautiful illustration of love’s eagerness to forgive, but it also implies another characteristic of love. While the son was still far away, the father saw him coming. How could that be? Because he was watching for his son– anticipating and longing for his return. Love forgives when wrongs are committed against it, but it also expects the best of others. That’s what it means to believe all things (1 Cor. 13:7). That son had hurt his father deeply, but his father never lost hope that his son would return.

I know a Christian woman who has been married to an unbelieving husband for thirty years. Yet she continues to say, “He will come to Christ someday.” She isn’t blind to the situation, but her love for her husband has transformed her earnest desire into an expectation. She believes he will turn to Christ because love always expects the best.

Perhaps you have a spouse or child who is an unbeliever or has drifted away from the Lord. Don’t lose heart! Expect the best and let that expectation motivate you to pray more fervently and set a godly example for your loved ones to follow.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God to guard your heart from cynical and suspicious attitudes toward others.

For Further Study:

Read Matthew 9:1-13, noting the attitudes of the Jewish scribes and Pharisees toward Jesus.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Reverence Brings Reward

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“If you belong to the Lord, reverence Him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs” (Psalm 34:9).

Roger had a heart for God. He wanted to be everything the Lord wanted him to be. But he was troubled over how to achieve the balance between being what God wanted him to be and doing what God wanted him to do.

As we talked together I reminded Roger that everything flows from our relationship with the Lord – that He has to be primary. In Matthew 4:19, Jesus says, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” As we follow Him, He enables us to become fishers of men.

“If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7, KJV). “Out of the heart are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23, KJV). That which is most on our hearts will be most on our lips. If we love the Lord Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, it will be impossible for us to remain silent.

At the same time, obedience is a confirmation of our walk with the Lord. Jesus said, “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him” (John 14:21, KJV).

One of the most important commandments of our Lord is that we lead holy lives. Another is that we be fruitful in our witnessing for Christ. There is no substitute for reverence, worship, praise, adoration.

As we remember to reverence God by enlisting His guiding hand before we get into a predicament, He reaches out in love and extends a protecting hand in the midst of the trouble as we again invoke His divine care. If I am to live the supernatural life today, it will require divine enabling, and I must remain yielded to God’s indwelling Holy Spirit.

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:10-15

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will worship God today as a demonstration of my love and trust for Him by spending quality time with Him in His word and in prayer, and helping others to understand the importance of reverence for and worship of God.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Put God to the Test

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dr_bright

“Oh, put God to the test and see how kind He is! See for yourself the way His mercies shower down on all who trust in Him” (Psalm 34:8).

Sam wanted to receive Christ, but he was reluctant. Somehow, he just could not bring himself to make that necessary commitment of the will to exercise his faith and receive Christ. Because of unfortunate experiences in his youth, he had a distorted view of the goodness of God.

I encouraged Him to make his commitment, but he still hesitated. Finally, I turned to that wonderful promise of our Scripture for today and asked him to read it. As he read, the Holy Spirit gave him the faith to believe that he could trust God.

Put God to the test. Taste and see how good and kind He is. Sam discovered that day, and for the rest of his life, the faithfulness and the goodness and the kindness of God.

Do you have reservations, uncertainties, fears about the trustworthiness of God? If so, I encourage you to place your trust in Him, and you will find, as millions have found, and as I have found, that God is good, faithful, and true.

Similarly, you and I can put God to the test and find a friendly haven in the midst of enemy territory. More important, perhaps, is the certainty we can have that God does hear and answer our prayers – in situations where He and He alone knows the end from the beginning and can provide deliverance.

How vital to the supernatural life to know that we have immediate access to the God of the universe, the very one who alone can guarantee victory and deliverance.

Bible Reading: I Peter 2:1-5

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Realizing that, as a believer, I am constantly in “enemy territory,” I will trust God and encourage others to trust Him moment by moment for deliverance, for I know that He is just and kind and good. He is a loving, heavenly Father whom I can trust. I will encourage others to put God to the test and see how kind He is, to discover for themselves His mercies that He showers on all who place their trust in Him.

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Faith illustrated

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CharlesSpurgeon

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12

Suggested Further Reading: Hebrews 6:13-20

Joab, when he fled from the sword of Solomon, laid hold on the horns of the altar, thinking that surely when he had laid hold on the altar he was safe. His was vain confidence, for he was dragged from the horns of the altar and slain. But if you can lay hold on the horns of the altar of God, even Christ, you are most surely safe, and no sword of vengeance can ever reach you. I saw the other day a remarkable picture, which I shall use as an illustration of the way of salvation by faith in Jesus. An offender had committed a crime for which he must die, but it was in the olden time when churches were considered to be sanctuaries in which criminals might hide themselves and so escape. See the transgressor—he rushes towards the church, the guards pursue him with their drawn swords, all athirst for his blood, they pursue him even to the church door. He rushes up the steps, and just as they are about to overtake him and hew him in pieces on the threshhold of the church, out comes the Bishop, and holding up the crucifix he cries, “Back, back! Stain not the precincts of God’s house with blood! Stand back!” and the guards at once respect the emblem and stand back, while the poor fugitive hides himself behind the robes of the priest. It is even so with Christ. The guilty sinner flies to the cross—flies straight away to Jesus, and though Justice pursues him, Christ lifts up his wounded hands and cries to Justice, “Stand back! Stand back! I shelter this sinner; in the secret place of my tabernacle do I hide him; I will not suffer him to perish, for he puts his trust in me.”

For meditation: We should never be ashamed to be seen hiding behind Jesus (Mark 8:38).

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Gift Of Remembering

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Our Daily Bread

Genesis 40:1-14,23

Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him. —Genesis 40:23

During seminary, I worked in a nursing home. As I spent time talking to these men and women, at some point nearly every patient would describe the loneliness of their present lives and the realization that they were outliving their peers. Most wondered if anyone would remember them when they passed from this life.

It isn’t just the elderly who can feel lonely and forgotten. In fact, many of us feel trapped and alone, set aside by circumstances fair and unfair. Sometimes we even experience what the Old Testament character Joseph did: people failing to remember us when there’s every reason they should.

Genesis 40 describes Joseph’s experiences as he’s trapped in prison. The cupbearer had been freed and returned to the king’s service, just as Joseph told him would happen (vv.9-13). Joseph had asked to be mentioned to Pharaoh, but the cupbearer forgot him (vv.14,23).

We may feel forgotten. Yet, like Joseph, we are not (42:9-13). Jesus sits at the right hand of God, and our prayers reach the throne of the King without fail because our Savior is our Mediator. When we feel alone, let’s remember to rest in the confidence of Jesus’ promise to be with us forever (Matt. 28:20). —Randy Kilgore

Lord, let me be found serving others, as Joseph

did, in those hours when I feel most forgotten.

May I never be the “cupbearer” who fails to bring

the lonely and hurting to Your attention in prayer.

Jesus never abandons or forgets His own.

Bible in a year: Psalms 103-104; 1 Corinthians 2

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – What are the clouds?

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CharlesSpurgeon

“The clouds are the dust of his feet.” Nahum 1:3

Suggested Further Reading: Isaiah 40:12-26

Great things with us are little things with God. What great things clouds are to us! There we see them sweeping along the skies! Then they rapidly increase till the entire sky becomes black and a dark shadow is cast upon the world; we foresee the coming storm, and we tremble at the mountains of cloud, for they are great. Great things are they? No, they are only the dust of God’s feet. The greatest cloud that ever swept the face of the skies, was but one single particle of dust starting from the feet of the Almighty Jehovah. When clouds roll over clouds, and the storm is very terrible, it is only the chariot of God, as it speeds along the heavens, raising a little dust around him! “The clouds are the dust of his feet.” Oh! Could you grasp this idea my friends, or had I words in which to put it into your souls, I am sure you would sit down in solemn awe of that great God who is our Father, or who will be our Judge. Consider, that the greatest things with man are little things with God. We call the mountains great, but what are they? They are but “the small dust of the balance.” We call the nations great, and we speak of mighty empires; but the nations before him are but as “a drop of a bucket.” We call the islands great and talk of ours boastingly—“He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” We speak of great men and of mighty—“The inhabitants [of the earth] in his sight are as grasshoppers.” We talk of ponderous orbs moving millions of miles from us—in God’s sight they are but little atoms dancing up and down in the sunbeam of existence. Compared with God there is nothing great.

For meditation: Are you experiencing great distress or great success? Try to look at both kinds of circumstances from the viewpoint of God (Zechariah 4:6-7).

Sermon no. 36

19 August (1855)

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Don’t Forget God’s Promise

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Joyce meyer

[Abraham], having waited long and endured patiently, realized and obtained [in the birth of Isaac as a pledge of what was to come] what God had promised him.  —Hebrews 6:15

God gave Abraham the promise of an heir, but he had to wait much longer than he could have ever imagined. Today’s Scripture says that Abraham “waited long and endured patiently.” During those times, I am sure he had to remind himself of God’s original promise over and over again. Extended periods of waiting can tend to cause us to doubt that we ever heard from God at all.

Perhaps you are waiting on something right now and need to remind yourself of what God originally spoke to your heart.

Doubt and unbelief did attack Abraham and when they did he offered thanksgiving and praise. When Satan attacks, we must not be passive, taking no action at all. We should war against him and his lies by reminding him of God’s Word and promises to us. Speak them out loud, meditate on them, and write them down. When Habakkuk was waiting on God he was instructed to write the vision on tablets plainly so that everyone passing by might read it (see Habakkuk 2:2). Perhaps this was an Old Testament version of a billboard!

Fight the good fight of faith and hold fast your confession. No matter how you might feel right now, don’t give up because God is faithful, and just as He fulfilled His promise to Abraham at the appointed time, He will also fulfill His word to you.

God’s word for you today: When you talk to friends, don’t talk excessively about how you feel; tell them what God’s Word says.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Response to God’s Glory

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Alistair Begg

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.  Psalms 29:2

God’s glory is the result of His nature and acts. He is glorious in His character, for there is such a store of everything that is holy and good and lovely in God that He must be glorious. The actions that flow from His character are also glorious; but while He intends that they should display to His creatures His goodness and mercy and justice, He is equally concerned that the glory associated with them should be given only to Himself. Not that there is anything in ourselves in which we may glory; for who makes us different from another? And what do we have that we did not receive from the God of all grace? Then how careful we ought to be to walk humbly before the Lord!

The moment we glorify ourselves, since there is room for one glory only in the universe, we set ourselves up as rivals to the Most High. Shall an insect that’s been around for only an hour glorify itself against the sun that warmed it into life? Shall the clay pot exalt itself above the man who fashioned it upon the wheel? Shall the dust of the desert strive with the whirlwind? Or the drops of the ocean struggle with the storm? Give to the Lord, all you righteous, give to the Lord glory and strength; give to Him the honor that is due His name.

It is, perhaps, one of the hardest struggles of the Christian life to learn this sentence-“Not to us, O LORD, not unto us, but to your name give glory.”1 It is a lesson that God is always teaching us, and teaching us sometimes by the most painful discipline. Let a Christian begin to boast, “I can do all things,” without adding “through Christ who strengthens me,” and before long he will have to groan, “I can do nothing” and bemoan himself in the dust. When we do anything for the Lord, and He is pleased to accept our doings, let us lay our crown at His feet and exclaim, “Not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”2

1Psalm 115:1

21 Corinthians 15:10

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Exalting Others

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John MacArthur

“Love does not brag” (1 Cor. 13:4).

Most of us shy away from people who have an inflated view of themselves or place themselves at the center of every conversation. Yet perhaps you too struggle with the temptation to spend most of your conversations talking about yourself. Even if you would never openly brag about yourself, might you at times secretly resent others for not acknowledging your accomplishments? That’s the subtlety of pride.

Boasting always violates love because it seeks to exalt itself at the expense of others–to make itself look good while making others look inferior. It incites jealousy and other sins. Sadly, boasting exists even in the church. That’s why Paul exhorted us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, “but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3). The context of that statement is spiritual gifts, which can lead to pride if not governed by humility and love.

The Corinthians were spiritual show-offs–each vying for attention and prominence. Consequently their worship services were chaotic. First Corinthians 14:26 says, “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.” Apparently they all were expressing their spiritual gifts at the same time with no regard for anyone else. That’s why Paul concluded, “Let all things be done for edification.”

Their lack of love was obvious because people who truly love others don’t exalt themselves. They regard others as more important than themselves, just as Christ did when He humbled Himself and died for our sins (Phil. 2:3-8).

Boasting about our spiritual gifts is absurd because we did nothing to earn them. They don’t reflect our capabilities; they reflect God’s grace. That’s why Paul asked the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). That applies to physical capabilities as well as spiritual enablements. Everything you have is a gift from God. Therefore, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:31).

Suggestions for Prayer:

Each day acknowledge your total dependence on God’s grace.

Praise Him for the gifts He has entrusted to you.

For Further Study:

Note what God has to say about haughtiness in Proverbs 6:16- 17; 16:18; 18:12; 21:3-4; and 21:24.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Blessings of Giving

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“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” —Malachi 3:10

Our money is a direct reflection of the priorities of our lives. We like to disconnect the two, but really they are very connected. Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Luke 12:34). We will invest in our passions. If you want to find out what a person’s interests are, then take a tour of their checkbook or expense account and see where they are spending their money.

Although some make more money than others and some are more successful than others, here is the thing we all need to keep in mind: We need to take what God has given us and be wise stewards over it, investing generously in the work of the kingdom of God. God will bless generosity.

Paul wrote, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully’ ” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Some will say, “I can’t afford to give.” Really? I can’t afford not to give. Giving is not just for rich people; it is for all people. Everyone should invest in God’s kingdom. Here is something to consider: Maybe one of the reasons you are having financial struggles is because you have not honored the Lord in your giving.

Am I saying that if you give, then God will make you rich?

No, I am not saying that at all. But Scripture connects the two. Paul follows up 2 Corinthians 9:7 with this statement: “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others” (verse 8).

Everyone should give. And as you give to the Lord, He will bless you for it.

 

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – What Do We Do with the Dash?

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By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. —John 15:8

What are you supposed to do with your life? According to Scripture, we are all placed here on this earth to glorify and honor God and produce spiritual fruit in our lives. In fact, one of the songs we will sing in heaven is this one:

“You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

We exist for the pleasure of God. We were created to bring glory to Him and to produce spiritual fruit. Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16). He also said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (verse 8).

We don’t determine how long we will live on this earth. We may try. We can hang out at health food stores and take all kinds of vitamins and do all the right things, and we may even improve the quality of our lives by doing these things, but it is God who determines the length of our lives. It is God who decided when we were to be born. And it is God who decides when we will die. We have nothing to say about those dates. But we have everything to say about the dash in between them.

So what do we do with the dash? How do we live out the dash? We are here to glorify God. We don’t all have the same talents, but we have all been given our lives. So let’s not waste them in the pursuit of nothingness. Let’s invest our lives in the pursuit of God.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — “I’m . . . Uh . . . Sorry”

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 51:1-17

Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. —Psalm 51:1-2

The news is quick to report all the details of famous people’s wrongdoings and their subsequent confessions. Perhaps it’s an athlete who was arrested for driving while drunk. Or it could be a politician caught in an indiscretion. Only God knows the heart, but when we hear a stuttered “I’m . . . uh . . . sorry,” we may wonder if they are truly repentant or just sorry they got caught.

When we read the confession of the famous King David we see what looks like genuine contriteness. In his public discussion of his sins in Psalm 51, this disgraced monarch—who had an embarrassing record of flagrant sins which he had kept hidden (2 Sam. 12:1-13; Ps. 32:3-5)—pleads for mercy.

He recognized that his sin was an affront to God—not just to people—and that God alone can judge him (Ps. 51:1-6). He realized that he must be cleansed by God (vv.7-10), and he celebrated his restoration through service and worship (vv.11-17).

All of us sin and fall short of God’s glory. When we feel the heavy burden of sin weighing us down, we have the blessing of confession and forgiveness (1 John 1:9) to lift us up. Isn’t it just like our great God to turn even our sins into an opportunity to grow in His grace and power and love! —Dave Branon

Dear Lord, please give me a humble heart

and the courage to confess my sins before You

and others. Thank You for Your promise to be

faithful to forgive my sins and to cleanse me.

Confession is agreeing with God about our sin.

Bible in a year: Psalms 81-83; Romans 11:19-36

 

Charles Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon – Waiting only upon God

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CharlesSpurgeon

“My soul, wait thou only upon God.” Psalm 62:5

Suggested Further Reading: Proverbs 3:1-8

We must mark God’s providence leading us; and then let us go. But he that goes before providence will be very glad to run back again. Take your trouble, whatever it is, to the throne of the most High and on your knees put up the prayer, “Lord, direct me.” You will not go wrong. But do not do as some do. Many a person comes to me and says, “I want your advice, sir; as my minister, perhaps you could tell me what I ought to do.” Sometimes it is about their getting married. Why, they have made up their minds before they ask me, they know that; and then they come to ask my advice. “Do you think that such and such a thing would be prudent, sir? Do you think I should change my position in life?” And so on. Now, first of all, I like to know, “Have you made your mind up?” In most cases they have—and I fear you serve God the same. We make up our mind what we are going to do, and then we go down on our knees, and say, “Lord, show me what I ought to do;” and then we follow out our intention and say, “I asked God’s direction.” My dear friend, you did ask it, but you did not follow it; you followed your own. You liked God’s direction so long as it pointed the way you wish to go; but if God’s direction led the contrary to what you considered your own interest, it might have been a very long while before you had carried it out. But if we in truth seek God’s guidance for us, we shall not go wrong, I know.

For meditation: We sometimes get it into our heads that God should do whatever we want, rather than the opposite. If we call him our Master, we should seek to play the part of his followers (Mark 10:35-40).

Sermon no. 144

2 August (1857)

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Snapping, Snarling Thoughts

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Our Daily Bread

Psalm 59

You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. —Psalm 59:16

Many years ago, my father and I hiked through Big Bend in Texas. It’s a national park now, but in those days it was rough country.

One night we were rolling out our sleeping bags when a couple with a dog asked if they could camp nearby. We welcomed their company and turned in for the night. They tethered their dog to a stake beside their tent.

Some hours later my father nudged me awake and turned his flashlight into the darkness. Illuminated by the light, we saw pairs of yellow eyes peering out of the shadows. A pack of snapping and snarling coyotes were closing in on the dog. Although we chased them off and our neighbors put the dog in their tent, we slept fitfully.

I think of that night when I read Psalm 59 and David’s twice-repeated imagery: “At evening they return, they growl like a dog” (vv.6,14). David was thinking of Saul’s army that was closing in on him. I think, however, of the thoughts that return to menace us. They come back at nightfall, snapping and snarling: “You’re stupid.” “You’re a failure.” “You’re useless.” “Who needs you?”

When we have such thoughts, we can revel in God’s unconditional, unending love. His steady devotion is our refuge in the dark night of self-doubt and fear (v.16). —David Roper

Dear Lord, I am so thankful that You love me

unconditionally. Please chase away destructive thoughts

that keep returning to take away my confidence in You

and Your work in me. I want to rest in You and Your love.

Knowing that God loves us can dispel doubt.

Bible in a year: Psalms 57-59; Romans 4

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – The Antidote for Sin

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John MacArthur

“Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor. 16:14).

Scripture and personal experience teach us that sin always has its consequences. When you harbor unconfessed sin, you dishonor God and forfeit the blessings and joy He desires for you. Prolonged sin might even bring His chastening through pain or illness.

That’s what happened to Corinthian believers who partook of the Lord’s Table in a sinful manner (1 Cor. 11:27-30). Paul warned the rest of the congregation to take careful spiritual inventory of themselves to avoid incurring a similar punishment. In chapter 13 he reveals the root of their problem, saying in effect, “Some of you are physically ill because you’re sinning. Start loving God and one another as you should, and your ailments will disappear.”

Love is the antidote for sin. When a Pharisee asked Jesus which of the commandments was greatest, Jesus replied, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40). If you love the Lord and your fellow man, you won’t sin against them. That’s why Paul said, “He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom. 13:8-10).

Love is your highest calling and the greatest contribution you can make to others. But it’s possible to neglect it or misunderstand its characteristics. That’s why we’re going to spend this month exploring true love and how it functions. As we do, pray that your love for God and others will increase each day.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Ask God for a greater capacity to love Him, then demonstrate your love by obeying His Word.

For Further Study:

Read 1 Corinthians 13, noting the characteristics of love.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Are You Taking Advantage of Him?

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Alistair Begg

I in them.   John 17:23

If this is the union between our souls and the person of our Lord, how deep and broad is the channel of our communion! This is no narrow channel through which a threadlike stream may wind its way; it is a river of amazing depth and breadth, along whose glorious length a ponderous volume of living water may roll its floods. Consider how He has set before us an open door; let us not be slow to enter.

This city of communion has many pearly gates, every gate is made of one pearl, and each gate is thrown open wide so that we may enter, assured of welcome. If there were but one small loophole through which to talk with Jesus, it would be a high privilege to thrust a word of fellowship through the narrow door; how much we are blessed in having so large an entrance! If the Lord Jesus were far away from us, with many a stormy sea between, we would long to send a messenger to Him to carry Him our love and bring us tidings from His Father’s house; but consider His kindness-He has built His house next-door to ours. More than that, He lives with us and makes His home in our poor humble hearts, so He may have continual fellowship with us.

O how foolish must we be if we do not live in constant communion with Him. When the road is long and dangerous and difficult, it is no surprise that friends seldom meet each other; but when they live together, shall Jonathan forget his David? A wife may, when her husband is on a journey, spend many days without conversing with him, but she could never endure to be separated from him if she knew him to be in one of the rooms of her own house. Why, believer, do you not sit at His banquet of wine? Seek your Lord, for He is near; embrace Him, for He is your Brother. Hold Him fast, for He is your Husband; and press Him to your heart, for He is your kith and kin.

 

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Wasted Life

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[Jesus said] Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled]. —John 14:27

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you]. —John 16:33

In my book Battlefield of the Mind, I admit: “I wasted many years of my life worrying about things I could do nothing about. I would like to have those years back and be able to approach them in a different way. However, once you have spent the time God has given you, it is impossible to get it back and do things another way.”

What I didn’t realize for so many years was that Jesus’ peace is always there, ready and waiting for us. His peace is spiritual, and His rest operates in the middle of trouble, noise, and confusion. Too often, we think we’d be just fine if there weren’t so many storms in life. But that’s absolutely not true. Real peace comes from going through the storms and winning the battles of life.

I attended the funeral of an elderly gentleman several years ago. Near the casket stood the eighty-four-year-old widow, who had just lost her husband in a fire that had totally destroyed their home. She barely came out alive herself. Just a week or so earlier, her son had died of cancer, and her daughter had been killed in a freakish car accident. She had lost all of her loved ones within a period of two weeks!

“How are you handling all of this?” I heard someone ask her. “How can one person endure so much?”

The woman’s eyes were moist as she replied, but her voice was firm. She said, “It wasn’t easy. I felt as if I were walking across a river that kept getting deeper, and I was sure I would drown. I kept crying out for God’s help. And do you know what? My feet touched the riverbed, and my head was still above the water. I had made it across. God was with me. His peace enabled me to keep going when I was sure I would drown.”

This is how God’s peace works. Jesus made it clear that we don’t have to worry, because He is with us. No matter how deep the water, He is always there.

I thought again of my years of worrying and living without God’s peace. I was a Christian, and I tried to follow God in every way I knew. However, money was a big problem in those days, and many times, I wondered if we would be able to pay all of our bills.

y husband, Dave, never seemed to worry about anything. I’d be ready to collapse under the stress of it all, and he’d be in the other room playing and wrestling with the children. One time I asked, in frustration, “Why don’t you help me figure this out instead of playing with the children?”

“What would you like me to do?” he asked.

I didn’t know what to say. There was nothing he could do, and I knew it, but it upset me that he could go on enjoying life as if we weren’t in a desperate financial situation. But that was also a great moment of awakening for me.

I had been at the kitchen table for at least an hour worrying, and fretting, and trying to figure out how to pay all our bills. No matter what I did, we simply didn’t have enough money that month. Dave understood the problem and didn’t like it any more than I did, but he didn’t fret. He knew there was nothing he could do to change the figures.

He didn’t say it, but I realized what he meant. “If we can’t change anything, why are you wasting your life trying to fix the things that can’t be fixed?”

As I look back, I’m ashamed of myself. I wasted so many hours of my early married life. Instead of enjoying my life, my children, and my husband, I wasted my energies on trying to fix things I couldn’t fix.

God met our financial needs—sometimes through amazing miracles—and all my worry was for nothing. I wasted a precious time in my life—part of the wonderful, abundant life Jesus offered to me. I have it now, and I’m grateful, but I could have had a more abundant life back then. It took me a while, but I have finally learned to enjoy the faithfulness of my heavenly Father.

God of all peace, help me to recognize and enjoy Your presence in my life and to be thankful for all Your blessings. Don’t let me waste my life worrying about things that only You can control. In the name of Jesus, I ask You to free me from worry. Amen.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Music to Our Ears

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He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!  —Revelation 22:20–21

The Bible refers to the second coming of Christ many times, from Genesis to Revelation. It is mentioned 1,800 times in the Old Testament and another 300 times in the New Testament. Statistically, one in every 25 Bible verses refers to the Second Coming. For every prophecy in the Bible about the first coming of Jesus, there are eight prophecies about the second coming of Jesus. One message is clear in Scripture: Christ will come back again to this earth.

As C. H. Spurgeon said, “The sound of His approach should be as music to our ears.”

I think our very reaction to the Lord’s return is a good barometer of where we are spiritually. If you are right with God, then you will look forward to the return of Jesus Christ. But if you are not right with God, then you will dread the return of Jesus.

I love it when my grandkids are excited to see me. They run up to me and grab hold of my legs. They look forward to my arrival (or at least they act like they do.) Why are they so happy to see me? Because I never discipline them. That is not my job. I am there to give them candy and buy them toys and have fun with them. I let their parents deal with the other stuff.

That is how we should feel when we think of the return of Christ. John writes about it in Revelation 22:20: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ ”

John responds, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”

That is how every believer ought to respond when they hear that Christ is returning: “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” It is a good thing to say.